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to comply with regulations

to comply with regulations

1 3.4
Follow rules or laws that apply to you
  • phrasal verb
  • Formal
translation icon : cumplir con las regulaciones
  • A national reduction plan would help itinerant truckers comply with regulations as they travel among states, said Linda Gaines, a systems analyst with Argonne's Center for Transportation Research.

Examples

  • To comply with regulations and still save money.

    Academic text (1996)
  • You do not comply with regulations.

    Blog text (32)
  • In many cases, companies have found that measures undertaken to comply with regulations are actually saving costs (especially when the costs of alternative disposal and treatment methods are included in the analysis).

    Academic text (1995)
  • Many corporate clients now insist that any law firms they work with comply with regulations like those of Gramm-Leach-Bliley or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

    Academic text (2004)
  • The bubble concept provides an alternative method of computing emissions, thereby minimizing the burden on all small entities that must comply with regulations designed to reduce emissions.

    Academic text (1995)
  • As Samsam points out, any regulations hit small businesses harder than large ones, because the cost of complying with regulations isn't linear with the size of the business, and in a results-oriented regime with significant penalties, there is no good way to manage the risk.

    Blog text (15)
  • The company must comply with regulations to ensure all safety standards are met.

  • To avoid penalties, it is essential for businesses to comply with regulations set by the government.

  • In order to maintain their license, the restaurant needs to comply with regulations regarding health and safety.

Synonyms

to obey
vsto comply with regulations
411 1.0

Do what someone in charge tells you or follow a rule

focuses on following official rules and laws rather than obedience to people
to comply
vsto comply with regulations
332 3.8

Do what a rule or person asks

focuses specifically on matching established laws and official guidelines
to conform
vsto comply with regulations
96 3.2

Think and act like other people or follow rules

stresses alignment with formal laws and official guidance rather than social norms
to go by
vsto comply with regulations
91 1.8

To follow a rule or plan

is more formal, applying to official laws and established guidelines
to adhere to
vsto comply with regulations
79 3.9

To follow rules or instructions

is the general act of following official laws or guidelines
to abide by
vsto comply with regulations
79 3.5

To accept and follow a rule, decision, or agreement

is neutral about willingness and stresses matching official legal guidelines
to follow the rule
vsto comply with regulations
55 2.8

Do what a rule says

is broader, applying to official laws and guidelines not only single rules
to conform to
vsto comply with regulations
50 3.7

Do what rules or standards say you must

covers following rules more broadly beyond just meeting set standards
to toe the line
vsto comply with regulations
  • Informal
9 5.4

To do what people in charge expect and follow the rules exactly

is broader, meaning to act in line with official laws and guidelines

Antonyms

126 3.7

To refuse to follow rules or orders from someone in charge

to contravene
  • Formal
2 8.2

To break a law, rule, or agreement

How Compliant

to comply with regulations
  • Formal
1 3.4
to contravene
  • Formal
2 8.2

Surface Forms

Morphology

comply + with + regulation

The phrase's meaning is directly compositional: 'comply' means to follow, 'with' marks the target, and 'regulations' are rules, so a learner who knows the constituents can infer 'act in accordance with rules'. This is a common verb + preposition + noun construction found cross-linguistically in legal/registered contexts, making the expression immediately transparent to B1 learners.

Etymology

Comply with regulations creates a picture of someone checking every rule on a list and doing what each rule asks. Comply means to do what you are told and regulations are official rules, so the phrase means 'to follow the rules'.